Hotline #721 - August 26, 2011

As Hurricane Irene approaches the continental U.S., transportation officials are bracing for impacts that will range from delays to complete service shutdown.

Amtrak announced yesterday that it would cancel most trains south of Washington, D.C.—with trains closer to the coastal Southeast affected most severely.  Northeast Corridor trains are expected to keep running with little change; the only modification announced so far is that Trains 67 and 83 (Boston to Newport News) will terminate in Washington.  However, with high winds endangering trees and power lines, delays are likely.

[See a complete list of Amtrak’s service alerts.]

Local transit systems are preparing for the worst, as well.  New York’s Metropolitan Transportation Authority has crews organizing to make ready facilities.  Due to the likelihood of severe wind and rain, MTA has already announced it will suspend subway service at 12:00 pm, Saturday, with New Jersey Transit following suit.

Additionally, MTA officials said they are coordinating with the Governor and Mayor’s offices to prepare an emergency evacuation plan should it be deemed necessary; New York Governor Andrew Cuomo has already declared a state of emergency.

The Washington Metro Area Transportation Authority—relatively removed from the coast, and thus more protected from the brunt of the storm—announced that crews have placed over 2,000 sand bags throughout the region to protect Metro stations from potential flooding.

“We’re putting all of our resources in place to address any issues that arise out of the extreme weather conditions this weekend,” said Metro General Manager and CEO Richard Sarles. “We will be updating our customers through our website, Twitter, email alerts and the media.”

Airlines operating throughout the East Coast have announced hundreds of cancelations, and are warning that travel will be disrupted and delayed across the nation.

Highways, however, could be the real battleground this weekend.  Officals are warning that mass evacuations of the coastal region could be necessary.  With the population density of the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast regions, that could mean millions of people streaming onto interstate highways with no clear destination.  It is being projected that evacuation orders on the New Jersey coast could encompass 1.2 million people alone.


U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood announced August 22 that almost $745 million in federal high-speed rail grants has been cleared for use in construction along the Northeast Corridor (NEC) to upgrade the most heavily-used passenger rail corridor in America.

“These grants are a win for our economy and a win for commuters all along the Northeast Corridor,” said Secretary LaHood. “We are creating new construction jobs, ordering American-made supplies and improving transportation opportunities across a region where 50 million Americans live and work.”

The two projects will create an estimated 12,000 jobs though construction and increased activity in the manufacturing and rail supply sector.  The money—part of the Federal Railroad Administration’s (FRA) High-Speed and Intercity Passenger Rail program—will be split into two pots:

• $449.94 million will go to replace electrical catenary, supplemented power supply, and modernized signals and tracks between Trenton, NJ and New York City.  These upgrades will improve on time performance for the corridor and increase top speeds for the Acela Express to 160 mph along a 24-mile stretch of track that currently tops out at 135 mph.
• $294.78 million will go to upgrade the Harold Interlocking rail junction in Queens, separating Amtrak NEC trains from Long Island Railroad, Metro-North commuter trains, and NJ Transit trains accessing the Sunnyside Maintenance Yard.  These improvements will ease congestion by allowing Amtrak trains to bypass the busiest passenger rail junction in the nation.

“With gas prices on the rise and congestion clogging our roads, more and more Americans are choosing to travel by train,” said FRA Administrator Joseph Szabo.  “With our population expected to grow by 100 million more people between now and 2050, we are investing in a high-speed rail system that connects to other modes of transportation, reduces congestion and improves the efficiency and reliability of travel in America.”

By obligating this money, the FRA has protected it from attacks on the high-speed rail funds made by Republican Members of the House.  The Republican-led Committee on Appropriations had passed a spending bill for Energy and Water Development that would divert up to $1billion in unobligated High-Speed and Intercity Rail funds to federal assistance to flood stricken regions in the Midwest (the bill was approved on the floor of the House, but has yet to be taken up by the Senate).

Work between Trenton and New York City will begin in late 2011, with initial construction scheduled for 2012.


The U.S. Department of Transportation announced yesterday that it has transferred $28m to the Michigan Department of Transportation, clearing the way for construction to begin on modern train station in Dearborn, Michigan.

The new intermodal station will consolidate the two existing passenger rail stations into one facility located downtown.  The station will serve Amtrak’s popular Wolverine train.  The station will also be designed to accommodate a planned Ann Arbor-Detroit commuter train; city, regional and intercity bus systems; local and tourist shuttles; bicycle and greenway linkages; and, auto, taxi, and limousine connections to Detroit International Airport.


The U.S. Department of Transportation announced this week that it would be amending the rules for the implementation of the Positive Train Control (PTC), a rail safety system required by the Passenger Rail Improvement and Investment Act of 2008.

U.S. DOT provided the following rationale for the rule change:

Positive train control is currently required on routes carrying poison inhalation hazard (PIH) materials, and on routes that provide intercity and commuter passenger service.  If a railroad opts to reroute the shipment of PIH hazardous materials off such a rail line and chooses to not install PTC there, the company must currently request FRA approval and conduct a complex set of analyses.  The amendments proposed today would eliminate the need to perform those analyses, but do not impact the existing requirements to install PTC on lines used to provide passenger rail service.

The DOT estimates that 14,000 miles of track will be exempted from PTC installation, which would produce a total savings of up to $1 billion over 20 years for freight rail companies.

Passenger and safety groups will be sure to watch these developments closely to ensure that the safety of the public is not being compromised in the pursuit of cost cutting measures.


Amtrak revealed this week that it will providing train transportation for 10 students from the Coretta Scott King Young Women’s Leadership Academy Campus in Atlanta to travel to Washington, D.C. for the dedication of the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., National Memorial scheduled to take place this weekend.

“Amtrak is honored to bring these students to Washington to take part in this historical occasion,” said Darlene Abubakar, National Advertising Director for Amtrak. “We sincerely hope this is a rewarding and memorable experience for them.”

The young scholars will board Amtrak’s Crescent Service Atlanta and take the train to Washington, D.C.’s Union Station, where they will get the chance to meet Civil Rights Movement leader Congressman John Lewis (D-GA) and Dr. Bernice A. King.

The students will attend the unveiling of Dr. King’s memorial, held this Sunday, August 28, who will be the first African-American honored with a memorial on the National Mall (and only the fourth non-President).

“On behalf of the Coretta Scott King Young Women’s Leadership Academy Campus, we are fortunate and extremely excited that students from our school were chosen to take part in the King Memorial Dedication,” said Dr. Dione Simon, a principal of Academy’s middle school. “I am certain they will cherish these memories for the rest of their lives.”


Amtrak announced August 24 that it has recruited private consultants KPMG LLP to advise in the development of a business and financial plan to bring 220 mph next generation high-speed rail service to the Northeast Corridor, part of an initiative to maximize private investment opportunities.

KPMG is a firm that specializes in audit and tax consultancy, and they will be joined by Steer Davies Gleave, DWH Strategic Advisors, Sharon Greene & Associates, and TranSystems to assist in creating the business development plan for the corridor.  Respectively, the firms are international leaders in a variety of fields, such as public private partnerships development, strategic transportation planning advice, assessing the real estate development opportunities associated with transportation facilities, and developing integrated transportation systems.

“The selection of KPMG is the result of a highly competitive procurement process that showed us there is real interest and enthusiasm in the financial community for advancing the Amtrak NEC high-speed rail project,” said Al Engel, Amtrak Vice President of High-Speed Rail.  “The Amtrak high-speed project is critical for the future of the Northeast megaregion and we are interested in identifying innovative business approaches for attracting private capital and combining it with public financing sources to help us build it.”


Travelers’ Advisory:

• An 5.8 magnitude earthquake that hit on August 23—centered in Mineral, VA—caused delays through much of Amtrak’s East Coast rail network.  Train speeds were slowed while crews inspected tracks to ensure structural integrity. Amtrak reported that operations were back to normal by nightfall.
• Early reports indicate an Amtrak train has derailed today near the Colorado-Nevada border after striking a tractor.  No confirmation about the severity of the incident, although initial reports suggest there have been no serious injuries to passengers.
• For tickets bought now through August 31—for travel between now and October 4th—VIA Rail Canada is offering 50% off regular price for all Economy (coach) and Business Class seats, system wide.